Bedwetting is a common problem for children ages 5-12, but fortunately most children grow out of this problem.

Many parents are not sure how old their child needs to be before their wetting is considered a "problem." Most children will begin to stay dry at night at around age three. However, approximately 15 percent of children continue to wet the bed after this age, with boys more likely to wet the bed than girls. Most physicians and psychologists agree that bedwetting is a problem if the child is unable to keep the bed dry by age seven.

All of the causes of bedwetting are not known, and the cause may be different for each child. For some children it appears that they have relatively small bladders. Other children may have nervous systems that aren’t sufficiently developed to get the right signal between the bladder and the brain. Some children may lack sufficient levels of an important hormone, AVP, which helps decrease the amount of urine produced at night. Bedwetting can also be a response to stress.

Many parents mistakenly believe that wetting the bed is their child's way of getting back at them. It’s important to realize that children very rarely wet the bed on purpose, and are usually ashamed of it. Parents should NEVER punish a child for bedwetting.

Common treatments for bedwetting include scheduled waking, limiting fluids, moisture alarms, bladder training, medications, and psychotherapy. However, a treatment decision should be made with the guidance of a physician or mental health professional.

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Written by Garret Evans and Heidi Radunovich

Reviewed by Donna Davis and Suzanna Smith

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Butler, R.J. (2004). Childhood nocturnal enuresis: Developing a conceptual framework. Clinical Psychology Review, 24, 909-931.

Evans, G.D., & Radunovich, H.L. (2006). Bedwetting. EDIS , FCS 2112, HE794.The Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida